Kendra Francis and her label FRANKE are celebrating 10 years in fashion this year with a gallery event showcasing 10 photographs of women who she’s dressed and styled during the past decade. To take such an illustrious and enigmatic career and bottle it into one night is a difficult feat. We were there for a glimpse into FRANKE’s world of flair and fabric as a team of colleagues with whom she had worked with over the past 10 years filtered into Bisha Hotel & Residences to support and pay tribute to one of Toronto’s greatest forces in fashion. We love Franke, and we know you’ll love what we captured with our lens. GLOSS X presents “IAM10″
This past Christmas while most of you were sitting by the fireplace with your families sipping hot cocoa, GLOSS was working around the clock on this documentary. We provided a full graphics package, treatments of each photo that appear in the film, and an animated sequence for the History of Hip-Hop segment. Working with Director Sherien Barsoum on this, her first film, was an absolute pleasure – and a bit of a learning experience.
The issue of racial identity has always been a subject of interest, and confusion for me – growing up as a person of mixed ethnicity – so my involvement in this project was a must, and a bit of a cathartic experience as it addressed some of the issues I now know I’m still kind of working through.
On March 10th with the help of friends, fam, and cohorts, Gloss celebrated their 1YR Anniversary. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who came out and represented – especially those who came sporting a pair of frames.
Love goes out to:
Ingrid Prince & Jodi McBurney, The Spoke Club’s membership & events team.
The sound provider, MyManHenri – or should I say curator of the crates. Always coming correct with the most interesting sound selection in the city …EASILY.
My cousin Kendi for her ideas, and her new friend Mr. Vise for coming through with the product… couldn’t have had a screening with out you man!
The fellaz from Mix Motion who are doing some amazing things with A/V. We made history that night boys! The first successful projection in The Spoke Club’s Glass House EVER. If you aren’t familiar with their work (which includes the MMVAs) go to MixMotion.com and check out the amazing interactive installation they did at Nuit Blanche.
The Feature Artist of the Night, Mr. Ramon Charles.
Ramon has a very graphic approach to photography. Most famously known for his Facebook photo albums (HI:DEF is my vote for FB Album of the Year), he gives meaning to simple things that we pass every day. He’ll see an angle; the way the lines, colours and light could create a shape if seen from a certain perspective. Seriously?! I’ve seen him pull off better stuff with his cell phone than many “professionals” can pull off with their high end gadgetry! He’s the man, and he’s a perfect fit for Fresh Perspectives.
And last but not least thanks to all who attended – for being here with me to celebrate a most rewarding year. It was a year of great change, and that’s what this whole fresh perspective theme is about. Seeing things from a new, different or unexpected vantage. That’s where all of you come in. I’m surrounded by some brilliant people, with brilliant ideas. This year, for the first time, I started seeing people, not as competition, but as counterparts. And that’s what the glasses thing was all about, seeing familiar faces in a new way.
We all as creatives appreciate NEWNESS in our line of work. Not just appreciate it, we relish it. There’s nothing new under the sun – yet, when some one gives us an unusual, unique, unexpected take on art we get the shivers. So this was a celebration of a year of Gloss Creative, and another year of all of you – friends, cohorts – you are my fresh perspectives and I forward to working with y’all! .. on something FRESH.
